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The Atkinson Family
Episode summary In the season 7 premiere of Supernanny, Jo visits the Atkinsons, who are a blended family with 5 daughters from Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Jennifer has two teenage daughters from her first marriage: 14-year-old Amanda and 13-year-old Abbey. John has a 10-year-old daughter, Julia (with whom he shares custody with his ex-wife). Together, John and Jennifer have two daughters: 4-year-old Reese and 2-1/2-year-old Maeve. While the family is a blended family by name, it is anything but blended. Teen daughter Amanda disrespects her mother and stepfather, and even makes her mother cry when she tells her that she wishes she was dead. Abbey can also be disrespectful at times, and Reese has major separation anxiety from John and will scream and cry, and even ran out into the street when he leaves the house. At one point, Reese screamed so much, she damaged her vocal chords. During her observation, Jo realizes that Jennifer and John aren't very consistent about rules and parent their children differently from each other. Can Jo help the Atkinsons maintain structure and rules in their household? Can she help Jennifer's relationship with her teenage daughters before it's too late? Can she help out with Reese's separation anxiety? Recap Observation When Jo arrives at the Atkinson home after watching the submission reel, John's daughter Julia is still at her mother's house. Jo soon gets to see how Amanda and her mother interact. She very rudely demands that her mother makes her pasta for lunch. Amanda complains that Jennifer "always wants to be in her life." During the argument between mother and daughter, 4-year-old Reese took a seat on the table. Amanda promptly tells her that this is "her seat", and that she always sits there. John tells Amanda to let it go, but Amanda continues to argue with Reese during lunch. When John tells her to cut it out, Amanda burps loudly and leaves the table. When John attempts to leave to pick up Julia, Reese melts down and did something Jennifer had never seen her do before: run down the driveway. Jennifer then spends the next twenty minutes chasing Reese before putting her inside. When Jennifer asked Amanda to put the chips away before dinner, Amanda tells her mother she wishes she would die which brings her to tears. Amanda has a brief conversation with Jo, who sits down with her sister Abbey and tells Jo that her moods affect everyone and though she wants a relationship with her family, but does not know how to change. Family meeting At the family meeting, John and Jennifer admit that having different rules for children from different relationships doesn't work. Jo feels that there is a lot that needs to be clarified in between Amanda, Abbey and Jennifer in particular. Teaching As teaching begins, Jo gets out black sheets and explains that things covered by these sheets cannot be used for the duration of her stay. She places the sheets over the television and computer. Then, Jo brings out a pot and explains that all their cell phones would be taken away and given back at 7:30 every evening as she wants everyones full attention. Jo sits down with the parents to have them write a list of rules for all of the children. When John and Jen introduce the rules to their children, both Abbey and Amanda are resistant to the be home on time rule since it was summer. Jo then asks Julia to send the younger children away and has a frank conversation with the two teens about the dangers of staying out way too late. After the conversation, Jo teaches Jennifer and John how to deal with Reese's separation anxiety by using time out every time she acts out. Reese then got herself into time out, and the battle for it went on for 27 minutes. Afterwards, the anger issue between Amanda and her mom is partally sorted out when Amanda tells her that whenever her family wants to do something it's always about Reese and Maeve rather than about her and Abbey. DVD meeting Jo then leaves the family for a few days and returns to show that the relationship between Amanda and her mother has improved while Reese's separation anxiety has finally come to an end. Reinforcement John has trouble following through with discipline and often gives his daughters constant warnings with no follow-through, so Jo gives him another chance to try perfecting time out. When Maeve starts acting up during a family walk, John finally does time out the right way. Meanwhile, Abbey and Amanda open up to their mom and fix their relationship. Video Submission reel on YouTube Links Photos by Getty Images Family Members *John Atkinson *Jen Atkinson *Amanda LoCascio *Abbey LoCascio *Julia Atkinson *Reese Atkinson *Maeve Atkinson Gallery TheAtkinsonFamily.jpg Category:Teenagers Episodes Category:Preschooler Episodes Category:Pre-Teen Episodes Category:Naughty Spot Episodes Category:Episodes with timeout tantrums Category:Episodes with tantruming youngsters Category:Families with Girls Only Category:School Age Children Episodes Category:Separation Anxiety Episodes Category:Episodes in Ilinois Category:Families with Five Children